The streams model was developed John Kingdon in 2003. It is a powerful tool in understanding policy process. It consists of three parallel processes: problem streams, policy streams, and politic streams (Knaggard, 2015). These three parallel process can also go under multiple different names. Problem streams refers to policy problem that requires attention; issues that capture everyone’s attention (Howlett, Ramesh and Perl, 2009). Policy streams, also known as solution streams, pertains to many potential policy solutions that originate from communities of policy experts, also known as, ‘policy primeval soup’ in which policy ideas and solutions are formed, rejected, and selected (Howlett et al.). Lastly, political streams refer to social and political factors such as public opinion, election results, and demands of interest groups (Howlett et al.). Kingdon states that when the three streams joined at a critical moment, it would constitute a policy window (Chow, 2014). When this window opens, the issue becomes part of the policy agenda and policymaking steps will follow (Chow). The convergence of streams is determined by the presence of policy windows and the actions of policy entrepreneurs (Chow). Policy entrepreneurs, actors who introduce and promote ideas, will the spend time to increase their chances of getting an idea placed on the decision-making agenda (Chow).
Strengths of Streams Model Streams model is an enhanced version of the Garbage Can model developed in 1971
Best starts off with the idea of a political network focusing on specific social issues for policy change, Best calls this policy domains. Best uses the side of Congress that deals with health, like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as an example of a political network focused on the policy domain for health (201). Best goes on to explain John W. Kingdon’s model
Deborah Stone begins her book, Policy Paradox, by stating, “a theory of policy politics must start with a simple model of political society, just as economics starts with a simple model of economic society.” Deborah Stone examines two policy-making models to describe the paradox’s of the process model for public policy. The two models include: the market (rational model) and the Polis (community) model. Stone states she contrasts these two models to “illuminate some ways the market model distorts political life.” As discussed in class, the market model follows five steps:
At the beginning of this article, the author brings up the fields of policy studies, how to understand the policy making and how they
Policymaking is a political process which is affected by various social and economic factors (Hofferbert, 1974) and media systems play an integral role in shaping the social context in which policies are developed. Through the media, citizens learn how government policies will affect them, and governments gain feedback on their policies and programs. Media systems act as the primary channels between those who might want to influence policy and the policymakers '' controlling the scope of political discourse and regulating the flow of information. Textbook policymaking follows an orderly sequence where problems are identified, solutions devised, policies adopted, implemented, and lastly evaluated (Mazamanian & Sabatier, 1989). In reality,
This paper is a review of chapter’s one (1), two (2) and three (3) in Thomas A. Birklands (2016) fourth edition regarding policy process. The reading attempts to define and show what is meant by policy process, how government, politics and the public are intertwined, problems that are associated with the policy process and how we address the problems. Current day events as well as past history are applied to the practice of policy process which assists in defining the process and highlighting its connection and importance. Thomas A. Birklands refers to the Clinton administration, the Obama administration and the George W. Bush administration, the DARE Program, World War II, and the Vietnam War, in the chapters and leads us down a path discussing
Deborah Stone compares the market and polis models of policy making with the intent to show that the original origin of the public policy discipline was to be grounded in a practical science, economics, but to also show how and why the economic approach to policy making has significant limitations. Stone is arguing against the view that policy decision making is rational decision making. Deborah Stone’s main reason for comparing the two models of policy making is to identify and critique the simplistic assumptions that have been used in the market and rationality project. Stone is attempting to point out the paradox that exists between the two because the two models are evidently contradictory, the market being ground in rationality and the polis being based on emotion. Stone compares the two policies in order to show that economics cannot be solely used to understand policy making because the two are fundamentally different. She also points out that policy is made in a political society and because of this the polis model seeks to explain public policy as it actually happens in reality since the field and study of public policy was created to allow government to make decisions that would best benefit their citizens.
This is when the public has the chance to get involved in the policy making process.
In this paper we will discuss the final stages of how a topic becomes a policy. The paper will discuss formulation, implementation, and the legislation stage. These stages must be done in this order to ensure the policy is being formed the correct way and not scattered around. This paper will also consist of the evaluation stage, analysis stage, and revision stage and describe the purpose and methodologies process for evaluating and revising a public policy.
Analysis of the Methods Used to Influence Policy Makers or Legislators to Support the Policy
The first two lectures, the introduction to policy making and agenda setting, gave a good background to the topic and laid a good foundation on which to discuss more specific issues. The policy triangle and the basic policy making sequence both were easy to understand and gave a good overview of this complex process. The further discussion of agenda setting opened my eyes to the importance of deciding what even makes it to the table to be discussed. It is easy to forget that before topics can even be debated and addressed, someone has
Throughout times, democracy has emerged as the best political way to rule a country. Within democratic systems, citizens have to vote for people who will represent them in the decision-making system. The question that John Kingdon wanted to understand in his writing of How Do Issues Get on Public Agendas? is how the legislative process and the public policies are made. John Kingdon well illustrates the processes by which an issue becomes policy issue, named the Cohen-March-Olsen, and the coming together of three processes. In the Cohen-March-Olsen, Kingdon proposed three stream: problem-recognition, policy stream of proposals and political stream.
Simply defining policy is a plan of action, is a little too simplistic, the idea of policy must be explored at a greater depth if policy analysis is to have any real impact. Stephen Bell, (1993) states that policy exists in a number of formats. This first being “policy as text”, policies are the result of a great deal of debate and compromises that
In spite of the policy cycle tool, it is not as easy to develop or implement new policy as there are many factors influencing it. The process of policy development involves many participants and individual stake holders. It also involves various areas which will be affected due to the new policy development and implementation. According to Hardee, Feranil, Boezwinkle and Clark (2004) policy circle involves six different stages and involves various parties who are working together for the new policy development. However, it is
My difficult questions surround the doing and the reading of the policy process. There are three areas that I would like further explore: the role of citizen participation in the policy process, importance of critical and postmodern perspectives in understanding public policy, and the role of government.
Chapter 1 walks the reader through the need for easy methods of policy analysis and planning as our problems in society become more complex and difficult to solve. This chapter starts with the introduction of a set off systematic procedures or what is known as policy analysis methods that can be used to solve our complex problems. Then there is a subgroup of these methods that are basic methods, which assists with quick results and in making good policy decisions (Patton, Sawicki, & Clark, 2012, p. 3). Some disagree that there is a set of procedures that can be used to assist in solving problems however a standardized methodology has developed and been applied (Patton et al., 2012 p.